


The Brave Ones

by TeamScienceMegaNerds



Series: Fictober 2019 [1]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Fictober 2019, One Shot Collection
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2020-12-27 02:37:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 17,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21111290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeamScienceMegaNerds/pseuds/TeamScienceMegaNerds
Summary: Danvarias one-shots for Fictober 2019





	1. "It will be fun, trust me"

Sam has grown on Alex. After a year’s worth of game nights, two drunk calls, and an entire season of rec league soccer with Ruby, Alex realizes that she might have a new friend after all. So when it’s time for the annual Danvers family camping trip at Big Bear, Sam is the first person Alex asks. The surprise on Sam’s face is obvious and that leads to a scramble of _if you wants _and _maybe next years_ but Sam is happy. Thrilled that Alex even thought of her. 

It isn’t until they’re all there, opening the cabin windows and setting their weekend bags down on the couch in the common room, that Alex starts to feel a bit uneasy. For one, Eliza is drunk on excitement. Which is the typical reaction she has to spending more than one day with her daughters. But Eliza appears especially enamored by Sam and Ruby’s presence. “I’ve been waiting years to play grandma,” Eliza tells Ruby, not so discreetly. Alex cocks her head to the side but regards the comment as nothing more than what it is, Eliza spoiling a very worthy and lovable kid. 

When Kara tells them that she’s going to gather some wood and tugs Lena along, Alex starts to wonder. Is it strange that Kara brought her girlfriend and Alex brought Sam? It was normal, right? They were friends and just because James and Brainy backed out that didn’t mean this was some kind of couples retreat. “Should we go look at the lake?” Sam suggests.

“That sounds like a great idea! I can get things settled in the kitchen, while you three take a stroll.” At the mention of the kitchen, Ruby seems to perk up. 

“Actually, can I stay with you Ms. Danvers? I’m in a cooking class, I can help.” Eliza looks delighted and Sam looks proud. Alex is still overthinking everything, so she’s resigned to trudging behind Sam. At least the pathway is marked which makes it much easier for Alex to run through every single interaction she’s ever had with Sam without tripping over her feet.

“You’re quiet.” 

“I am? Sorry.” Sam ties her hair up into a ponytail. 

“It seems like…did I do something wrong?” Alex stops sulking and looks to Sam. This is the last thing she wants, for Sam to feel like it’s her fault. “When you asked me, I thought…well, good things.”

“You didn’t do anything. I just realized that Kara’s here with Lena and I’m here with…you.” Alex hopes her words speak for themselves. Sam still looks very uncertain. “I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”

“We’re all here together,” Sam insists. They arrive at a clearing that overlooks the lake. It’s gorgeous and quiet. Sitting at a small dock are small pedal boats. Sam is practically bouncing on her toes. “Oh my god! I haven’t been on one of those in like fifty years.” Sam isn’t quite jogging but her long legs carry her there fairly fast. 

“Well…have fun!” Alex shouts from where she’s standing twenty feet away. Sam stops climbing into the boat and looks at Alex with a frown.

“You’re not coming with me?”

“I don’t…I don’t like water.” Sam laughs and then quickly covers her mouth. “Jerk.”

“Sorry, it’s just…you’re so badass.” Sam approaches her and grabs both of Alex’s hands. “It will be fun, trust me.” She smiles wide as Alex slowly starts to follow guided by the warmth of Sam’s touch and an eager need to see Sam smile like this always. “I’ll protect you.” Alex closes her eyes and nods because of course, she does. 

As a rule, Alex avoids large bodies of water. Even baths give her a bit of the creeps. But Sam’s hand is like an anchor. Stable and holding her nerves down. The boat itself doesn’t seem that terrifying and the silence, which should feel daunting, only leaves room for Alex to hear the airiness of Sam’s laughter as they go. “You have to move your legs.”

“I said I’d come, I didn’t say I’d do anything.” 

“Fine. Close your eyes, relax…I’ll do everything.” Sam nudges Alex’s side. “If I was your girlfriend, I wouldn’t let you just sit there, by the way.”

“Oh yeah?” 

“Yeah.” Alex keeps her eyes closed but pedals a little bit. “That’s more like it.” Sam dips her hand down into the water and splashes Alex just to get Alex to open her eyes. “Now…what other things are you scared of? I quite like being the brave one.”

“Plenty, I guess.”

“Not me, I hope?” Sam grabs hold of Alex’s hand as they float out there in the middle of the lake. 

“No. Definitely not you.”


	2. "Now? Now you listen to me?"

If she had known two hours ago that she’d be kneeling in dirt, strapped into combat gear, and wielding a gun, she’d probably have stayed home. It’s sheer chaos on the battlefield. Shots ringing out with the sun slowly setting in front of them. Even the slight flutter of a bird’s wings catches Sam off guard. It’s taken her twenty minutes to figure out how to shoot. But Sam still feels like a novice amongst everyone else.

Even James, who is much more accustomed to pointing and shooting a camera has no problem with a paintball gun. Part of her wants to quit. The other part is wondering how on Earth Ruby learned how to be some kind of tactical specialist. So far, Ruby had taken out Winn, J’onn and Kara. “Come on, mom!” Ruby yells beckoning Sam to sprint twenty feet to another barrier. 

Sam is not running out in the open. 

She’s felt the pain of these stupid paintballs and it hurts. Really hurts. And knowing that it’s just her and Ruby against Lucy and Alex, it feels fruitless. “I’m good here!” Sam yells back as she crouches lower. 

And she is good there. Very good, in fact. Cowering away like a scared little child. But Sam knows Alex too well. There’s too much of a competitive drive in her. She’s the kind of person that has to win. 

Sam sees Alex creeping up toward her. This is her fight or flight moment. “Goddammit,” Sam mutters to herself as she sprints across the open field, shooting in the general direction of Alex and Lucy. 

“Wait, now?! Now you listen to me?” Ruby screams watching as Sam gets hit with so many paintballs that they probably won’t be able to count them all later. Sam knows she’s finished but she also knows that she didn’t raise a fucking quitter. So even though Sam is getting shot to hell, she can see Ruby dart for another barrier and surprise Alex and Lucy with a barrage of her own. 

When it’s all said and done and Sam is cuddled between Alex’s legs, getting peppered with paintballs seems like a distant memory. Ruby sits on the ground with her favorite show playing on the TV. “Nice strategy out there, Ruby. You really caught us off guard.” 

“It wasn’t a strategy, it was an accident,” Sam explains. Ruby stills. “Right?”

“Well…” Ruby bites her lip. 

“You let me get shot 36-.”

“37,” Ruby corrects.

“37 times on purpose?” Sam can feel Alex’s stomach tightening as she laughs behind her. Sam grabs a pillow and hits Ruby on the shoulder and then Alex too for good measure. “You’re both grounded.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Never been paintballing, wouldn't say no if asked


	3. "I might just kiss you."

It’s a rainy night. Sam is ridiculously exhausted after slugging her way from one private practice to the next. This is a small town, quiet too. Sam could see herself renting a little cottage for the summer if she ever got a break. With this new drug on the market, she’ll probably be traveling to National City and Metropolis over the next few months. Pharmaceutical sales never end. 

The motel that Sam is staying at leaves very little to be desired but it’s near a bar and that’s the only thing Sam cares about right now. She isn’t expecting much, which is why she keeps it simple with jeans and a plain t-shirt, she isn’t trying to impress anyone. 

Bars are interesting. Small town ones even more so. The one that Sam walks into is smokey, stuffed with a few truckers and farmers, but it is meticulously clean. The chalk menu sitting above the bar seems out of place and the booths don’t have sticky seats or dried sweat on them. Sam decides that she’ll take a seat at the bar which might leave a little room between Sam and a potential creep. 

Sam isn’t used to having to wait either. But the bartender is changing a keg and offers a sweet smile as an apology. Sam doesn’t mind and she snacks on a few peanuts while she waits. And watches. There’s a lot of watching going on. 

The bartender is cute. She’s wearing faded jeans with holes in them from too much wear. Her black t-shirt looks mostly clean, straining slightly against the woman’s arms, which leads Sam to notice a large tattoo on the bartender’s forearm. It’s of a cat. A zombie cat. Sam is intrigued. 

Once the keg is properly in place, the bartender snatches a rag out of the back of her jeans, wipes her hands and approaches Sam. “Hi, sorry about that.”

“No problem.” 

“What can I get you?” Sam usually sticks with something simple but she is alone and it isn’t like this bar is busy, so she ponders for a second.

“What’s in the keg?”

“Oh, that?” The bartender nods over to the taps. “It’s called Wicked Twister. Pale ale, a bit of orange, a hit of chocolate, and cayenne.” She looks proud and eager. “We brew it in house.”

“Your recipe, then?”

“Sure is.” She grabs a clean glass and twirls it in her hand. “I could give you a taste. See if you like it.” 

“I’ll have a pint. I’ll trust you but it better not be a letdown.” The bartender happily fills Sam’s glass and sets it on the bartop in front of her. Sam does give it a taste. The citrus hits right away, the cayenne comes a bit later. “It’s good.”

“Just good.”

“Just good,” Sam says playfully. The bartender grins and leans up against the bar, closer to Sam. “What?”

“Where are you from?” Sam isn’t certain that she wants to get into specifics with a stranger. Even if they are cute. 

“Originally? Buffalo. Now? National City.”

“City girl, huh?” 

“I wouldn’t say that.” The bartender takes care of her other patrons. Dumping an ashtray, filling up another pitcher, and bullshitting with some of the locals. She has a casualness about her. Something Sam would relate to rural communities like this. Not slow-moving but she never quite seems to be in a hurry. Her laugh is infectious. Whatever quip the trucker says as he nods over at Sam, the bartender neutralizes it easily. Playing friend to all. “This is your bar?” 

“Yeah. I’m Alex.” That suits her. 

“Samantha.” Sam thinks better of it, “Sam.” 

“So, what are you doing in our little Hamlet?” Sam takes another drink. “Or is that a secret?”

“No secrets here. I…I’m a sales rep for LuthorCorp pharmaceuticals. It’s boring stuff.” 

“Why do you do it if it’s boring?” Alex has no idea how much that conversation is a rabbit hole. Sam enjoys Alex’s curiosity though. It isn’t something she comes into contact with much. Sam is paid to be smart, cute, and friendly. Beyond that, she sort of loses herself during the day. 

“Good question. I’ll let you know when I find out.” 

“You here for long?” 

“Just the night,” Sam responds. She polishes off the rest of her beer, Alex motions for another but Sam looks to the top shelf. “Something stronger maybe.” Alex studies Sam for a long moment. Sam wishes she’d done something nicer with her hair. Or at least thrown on some makeup. 

Alex doesn’t seem to mind. 

“How strong?”

“Come on, bartender. Isn’t it your job to figure me out?” Alex bites her lip. She pushes Sam’s glass aside, leans over the bartop so that her face is mere inches away from Sam’s. Alex runs her fingertips along Sam’s hairline and tucks Sam’s hair back behind her ear. “What are you doing?”

“Figuring you out.” Alex grabs a bottle of rum. Havana Club, specifically. “You’re Cuban?” 

“How the fuck did you know that?” Sam is starting to think that she’s walked into some kind of an alternate reality. Maybe Alex has magic powers? Alex makes Sam a daiquiri, laughing the entire time. “Seriously.”

“Your keychain.” Alex points to Sam’s keychain that reads “Havana”. 

“Oh.” Sam laughs into her daiquiri. “You’re smart.”

“That surprises you?”

“No.” Alex drums her fingers against the counter. 

“Okay. Sell me something,” Alex suggests.

“Like what?”

“Anything. Pretend I’m a customer.” Sam isn’t used to these kinds of games. But Alex has caught her at a good time. There’s no pressure here.

“Alright.” Sam stands and leans her elbows against the bar top. Alex’s eyes travel down Sam’s neck, predictably. “You see I could sell you anything. I can sell anyone anything. It’s about convincing the person in front of you that you want the same thing.”

“What happens if your buyer is a hardass? Is it a wasted trip?”

“It’s never a wasted trip.” Alex has been ignoring her other customers which makes it very easy for Sam to feel special. Wanted. “How late is this place open?”

“Till 1,” Alex pours Sam a shot and one for herself too. “Can you wait that long?”

“What am I waiting for?” Alex smiles instead of responding. Sam’s curiosity gets the best of her, so she decides to wait. 

Alex makes a mean basket of fries. She is efficient with her pours, flirting just enough to keep Sam hanging around, and twice Alex touches Sam’s hand a little too long. Sam notices because she notices everything. “Are you staying at that trash motel?”

“It’s not so bad.”

“I live upstairs.” Alex points to the ceiling. “You’d like it up there. Very sophisticated. Better booze too.”

“You could be a killer. I feel like I’m being lured.”

“Come on, you could take me. But I have no problems with any choice you make.” The clock reads 12:39, Sam is on edge. “You know what I like about you?”

“This’ll be good.”

“You’re some kind of big-city super seller and you’re sold on this.” Alex points to her own attire. “Easy to please, I guess.”

“Not that easy.” Alex waves goodbye to the rest of her patrons, wishing them all safe travels home. She locks up, cleans the bar, the tables, sweeps, and shuts off anything she doesn’t need running. Sam is patient. It gives her time to assess the situation. 

When Alex is halfway through washing the glasses, Sam has had about enough of waiting around. She stands and walks around to the other side of the bar. Alex watches her but does nothing to deter her. “You’re taking too long.”

“Well, I didn’t know what the plan was.” Alex sets a clean glass down and flings her rag over her shoulder. “What’s the plan?”

“I might just kiss you.”

“Is that all?” 

“Well, seeing as you’ve just cleaned the floors, we can fuck here or upstairs.” Sam pushes Alex’s back against the bar. “But you’d better not disappoint me.” Sam grabs the front of Alex’s shirt and tugs her closer. “I have an early flight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first of a few small-town AUs (this is my favorite genre of AU, that should be obvious by now)


	4. "There's a certain taste to it"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: edible underwear ahead

When Lucy handed Sam the gift last Wednesday, she’d laughed. It’d been a joke, something ridiculous they could talk about for years to come. The start of a prank gift war. But then Sam saw Alex’s face. That slight hint of intrigue. That’s what gave Sam pause. 

Instead of shoving the gift into the back of her closet like she’d planned to, Sam had kept the box in her dresser. Until this morning when, on a whim, she’d opened the box and put them on. 

It was stupid really. Just a bit of fanfare and fun for her own amusement. Going to meetings, chatting in the hallway, with none the wiser about what was going on under Sam’s dress. She isn’t exactly living on the edge but it’s a fun way to feel sexy and she wants to share that with Alex. 

**[Sam]:** I’m wearing them

Two whole minutes of the typing bubble later and Alex is suggesting she come to Sam’s office to see if she’s serious. As if Sam would lie about something so ridiculous. As if Alex needs a pretense to be there. Sam isn’t fooled by Alex’s coy little smile. She knows Alex is turned on just by the way Alex kisses her when she arrives. “Should I order lunch?” 

“I have something better for you to eat.” Now there’s no pretense. There doesn’t have to be. This is what three years OF late-night encounters had done to them. Alex closes the door and the blinds, Sam takes a seat at her desk, waiting for Alex to come to her and show her just how much she loves her. 

When Alex gets on her knees and pushes Sam’s legs open wider, it’s a not so gentle reminder of how much Alex lives to please. Most of the time, Alex is someone who enjoys foreplay. She’s a tease, which she knows, and Sam - more often than not - has to grab Alex by the back of her neck or tug at her hair to make her get on with it. Alex usually smiles at that, knowing just how much she’s gotten Sam worked up. 

Today is different. Today Alex is trailing kisses up Sam’s thighs and rubbing her fingers along the lining of Sam’s peach flavored edible underwear. She doesn’t stop to toy with Sam. Alex tastes the underwear, slowly, like she’s savoring the sensation. Sam covers her mouth for fear of drawing attention to her office. “There’s a…certain taste to them.” Alex looks up at Sam. Mischievous, daring. “I’d rather taste you.” Alex bites through the underwear and discards them. “Can I?”

“Stop messing around.” Sam will have to get a new chair in her office. But all she can think about is Alex’s mouth tasting her and how she’ll need to move her next meeting back because she needs at least another thirty minutes of this and only this. 

Then, right as Sam is about to tell Alex to use her fingers, her door flings open and Lena comes walking in. “Oh, my fuc-…” Sam doesn’t know if it’s better or worse that Alex is hidden under her desk. 

She immediately decides it’s worse because Alex doesn’t stop what she’s doing, as Lena takes a seat in front of Sam’s desk. “Sam, are you okay? You look a little…” Lena motions to her face. “Red.”

“Oh, I’m…” Alex sucks on her clit and Sam’s knee flies up and bangs against her desk. “Fine.” 

“Good. Great.” Lena doesn’t look convinced. “I wanted to talk to you about this month’s projections and the potential for expanding the Children’s Hospital wing over the course of two years.” Lena holds up a file. “It’s all in there.” 

“S-sure.” Alex has now introduced fingers and with her mouth eagerly at work, it’s a marvel that Sam is able to even form words. “I…”

“No need to get to this now. We can go over it after our conference call to Berlin.” Lena stands and gives Sam a warm smile. “I’ll meet you in the conference room.” Sam is going to come right now. Right in front of Lena. She can’t hide it, she can’t stop it. Lena takes a few steps towards the door, Sam grabs a fistful of Alex’s hair, Alex adds another finger. “Oh and Alex?” Sam’s brain shuts down. Alex slowly rises from where she’s been hiding under the desk. “Make sure Sam makes it to the meeting on time.”


	5. “It’s not always like this.”

The pain is excruciating. Sam wishes, hopes, dreams of better days. Simple days. Moments when getting around wasn’t a chore. She keeps telling herself that she needs to press forward. Two weeks ago they were telling her that she might never walk again and now, she had that chance. That sliver of hope was there, it was just about grasping it and never letting go.

Sam has never been complacent. Not once. But she is starting to wonder if she has reached the limits of what her body can do. If anything, Sam is willing to keep pushing just so she can wheel her way over to the physical therapy wing which provides her with a twenty-foot space of open-air and greenery that she can only peer down at in her fourth-floor hospital room.

As she makes her way into the large, recreation-like, room, Sam spots Alex near the mounted parallel bars. Sam’s nemesis for the day. The bars, not Alex, because Alex is…well, great. Despite the pain, Alex still manages to give Sam the confidence to keep pressing forward.

Except when it comes to these stupid bars. They were the source of a big blow-up yesterday, one that Sam is certain has changed Alex’s opinion of her. “Hi.” Alex is all smiles like always. Unlike the other people Sam works with, Alex is wearing cotton shorts that are tight around her thighs and a band t-shirt that’s tucked into them. She looks sporty and punk and somehow this information - that Alex has what seems to be hundreds of tattoos on her legs and arms - is both the most surprising and fitting thing about her.

“Hey, sorry about…” _having a total meltdown yesterday_. Sam wheels to a stop in front of the bars. “Today, I’m ready.”

“We’ve got some stretches to do first.” Alex leads Sam to a cushioned cot. “I’ll need you to lay down there.” There’s somewhat of a challenge here. Normally, Alex helps Sam up, but today she waits patiently. The support is there but Alex wants to see if Sam can do this on her own.

She can, Sam decides. Though it takes a moment and a near collapse because she forgot to lock her chair, Sam is able to climb up and run through the normal exercises and stretches they do every day. Sam notices something she shouldn’t be noticing. Namely, that Alex’s hands are rough, calloused when they are usually quite soft.

Normally, Sam would keep her mouth shut. But after nearly dying and now being forced to learn to walk again, Sam doesn’t much care for holding back. It hurts when she sees a scrape on Ruby’s knee when Lena brings her to visit. Sam is missing out on so much, so much of_ her_ world, that she can’t help but be curious about Alex’s. “You’re gonna be jacked when you get out of here,” Alex jokes as she squeezes Sam’s bicep playfully.

Sam giggles like a little schoolgirl. What’s with this hospital and hiring attractive physical therapists who make everything they say sound like they’re flirting? “What’s um…what’s up with your hands?” Alex looks at her hands confused. “They’re rougher than usual.”

“Oh.” Alex digs into her backpack and pulls out some lotion to put on. “Shearing.” Sam is very confused by that and Alex can tell. “Alpacas. It’s like a side gig.”

“Are you fucking with me?”

“Gosh, no.” Sam is still uncertain but she has to go with it. Alex is mysterious in the best way, a walking contradiction. “Let’s party.” That’s Alex’s way of saying let’s go and do the most painful thing imaginable. But Alex’s enthusiasm can be infectious and Sam is excited all the way to the point of her carrying her entire body weight on just her arms. Alex is standing in front of Sam, arms ready to catch her in case she falls.

Which she will, Sam is certain of that.

“Fuck.” How is it that Sam forgets how difficult this can be just after one day? She can’t do this. Now or ever. She will never walk again. “Okay, this is…I can’t…”

“You can.” Alex doesn’t leap forward and help her. She waits, hands firmly gripping the bars. “Look at me.” Sam does. Alex’s eyes are a rich brown, dark and expressive. “It’s not always like this. You will walk again. But I need you to stop tearing yourself down in your mind. Your body is ready for this.” If Sam had met Alex in the real world and she tried any of this inspirational bullshit, Sam might just smack her.

Right now, this is exactly what Sam needs. Sam takes one step. It’s mostly her arms doing the work but she can feel the fire in her leg muscles. “You should be a motivational speaker.” Sam desperately needs a break. “I used to run marathons. Can you believe that?”

“I can.”

“Ruby, my daughter, she would…make these really big signs for me. She hates waking up early but she always woke up early for me.” Sam sighs. If she can do one more step, that’ll be twice what she’s ever done in this room. “I’m her mother and now I have to schedule times to see her.”

“All this is temporary.” Alex takes one step back. “Keep going.” Sam does. Her bones feel like they’re breaking, her muscles tearing at the seams, but she is strong and capable. She’s known those things long before Alex started reminding her when they first met.

“You’ve got a great bedside manner I bet…” Sam tightens her grip on the bars. “I bet the alpacas love it.”

“I think they do. They can get a little restless though when it comes to trimming their nails.”

“Okay, you really must be fucking with me.” Alex shakes her head. “You’re either the strangest person I’ve ever met or the best.”

“Hopefully both.” Alex looks genuinely very pleased with herself and Sam’s progress. She’s miles away from taking one step on her own but she will get there. “Great work today. You deserve a really great high five.” Alex raises her hand and Sam high-fives her. “And…” Alex digs around in her pockets and pulls out a lollipop.

“Uh oh, you’re playing favorites.” Sam takes the lollipop, snatches the plastic wrapper, and sticks it into her mouth. “Today was…” Sam loses her words as she looks into Alex’s eyes.

“A start.” Alex grins. “A start of something good, I think.” Alex sterilizes everything they’ve touched today and joins Sam on her way back up to her hospital room. They stop in the small open area, each immediately enthralled by the greenery that surrounds them. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Sam.”

“You really shave alpacas?” Sam blurts out.

“Yeah.” Alex starts walking backward towards the door to her wing. “I’m also in a band.” Alex air strums, indicating that she plays guitar. “I’ll answer all your questions tomorrow after you take four steps.”

“Four? Jesus.”

“I believe in you, otherwise I wouldn’t push you so hard.” Alex winks and disappears behind the double doors. Sam takes a deep breath, capturing all the fresh air she can get before wheeling forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my head, Alex Danvers has at least 10 tattoos.


	6. "Secrets? I love secrets."

The birthday card is sitting on her nightstand when she wakes up that morning. Sam says nightstand because it’s sitting beside her bed, but it’s more of a table and her bed is more of a cot. The DEO has been lovely and accommodating but Sam desperately misses home. She misses cooking, Ruby, and having a daily routine that doesn’t revolve around her learning how to pick up things without breaking them. Kara has been a wonderful teacher. Thoughtful and caring as Sam had always known her to be, but it’s Alex who surprises her the most. Helping out with Ruby, attempting to cook meals and bringing them for Sam to try, and - best of all - being the first and only person who has hugged her in the past month. 

The card is big and the only thing it says on the front is “Happy Birthday to My Favorite Bitch”. Sam laughs, thinking it’s some kind of prank, but when she opens it, she sees that everyone in the DEO has signed it with little comments like “we love you, Danvers” and “thanks for having my back” in the field and that’s when Sam realizes that it’s a card for Alex. 

Sam stares at it for a long time. She thinks about just how much Alex means to her. How much those feelings have grown and changed into something that Sam isn’t certain she recognizes. Signing a card doesn’t seem like enough but Sam doesn’t think she knows how to explain everything to Alex’s face. Stuck at an impasse and wasting far too much time, Sam drowns in inaction as she watches Kara enter the room and pick up the card. 

“Thirty, can you believe how elderly Alex is?”

“Kara, I’m thirty-one,” Sam deadpans earning a rightful look of embarrassment on Kara’s face. “I didn’t know it was Alex’s birthday. I wish someone had told me.”

“Oh, duh.” Kara shakes her head. “Alex wouldn’t say anything. She hates celebrating them anyway.” That doesn’t make Sam feel any better about the situation. She feels left out like always. “Can I tell you a secret?’

“Sure.”

“Lena rented out Alex’s favorite restaurant for tonight. She’s going to love it! Food, family, friends…” Kara trails off, realizing the implications. “But seriously, she’s very chill about all of this.” 

Kara leaves soon after, lying about needing to go to work, and Sam does what she always does on quiet mornings like this. She puts on clothes, which are basically nurses scrubs, and goes in search of coffee. She’s learned that the coffee they make in the break room is garbage and she’s much better off going to Winn or Vasquez’s desk for something better. On her way to find them, she sees that Vasquez has a box of doughnuts on her desk and immediately beelines it to her. “Heyyyy-.”

“Yes, you can have one,” Vasquez tells Sam without even looking up from her computer. “It’s Danvers’ birthday today. Did you know?” 

“Yeah.” Sam looks around as she takes a giant bite out of her doughnut. “Where is she?”

“Conference room, upstairs. I think she’s hiding away from all the birthday wishes. J’onn sang; you should’ve seen how red she got.” Sam would’ve paid to see that but for now, she walks down the long hallway that leads to the conference rooms. Alex isn’t hard to find. She’s tucked away in the corner, with her laptop sitting in her lap, and a mug sitting at a table nearby. She’s watching something intently. Sam nearly turns around and jogs away, but Alex catches her eye through the glass.

“Hey,” Alex presses a few buttons on her laptop, closes it, and waves Sam into the room. Sam immediately notices that Alex is wearing joggers, tennis shoes, and a purple hoodie with the strings unevenly dangling around her chest. Alex notices Sam noticing her and she laughs. “I get to dress down, it’s my special day.”

“Yeah, I heard.” Sam tries not to sound too disappointed, instead, she takes a few steps closer to Alex. “Your…” Sam motions for Alex to stand up. “This is bothering the hell out of me,” Sam says as she tugs at the strings on Alex’s hoodie to even them out. While Sam is busy trying to restore balance in the world, she can feel Alex’s eyes on her. “What?”

“Nothing, I…” Alex blushes and walks over to her backpack. She unzips it and pulls out a wrapped gift. “I got you something.”

“I don’t think you understand how birthdays work.”

“I do, trust me.” Alex hands the gift to Sam. “Open it.” Sam does, slowly, like it’s a bomb. She doesn’t know what it could be but it doesn’t feel right. Being trapped in the DEO, missing out on celebrating her friend’s birthday, getting a gift from said friend out of the blue. 

A mug. 

Like one you’d get at an art fair. It’s richly purple with specks of turquoise on the handle. Sam looks up at Alex hoping she’ll say something. “Eliza took me to this pottery class as a pre-birthday thing. I made that. For you.” Alex rubs the back of her neck. “Well, you said your favorite color was purple and I…”

“Alex.” Sam wraps her arms around the agent to stall the rambling. “Thank you.” Those are the words Sam says but what she really wants to say is: _you are the sweetest person I’ve ever met_. Because that’s the truth and those are the words that Sam has been holding onto for weeks now. A mug might seem like a small gesture but it makes Sam want to cry. “Happy birthday, by the way.” Sam mumbles, pressed cheek to cheek to Alex. “You should’ve told me.” 

“It’s not a big deal,” Alex insists. She goes over to the fancy pour-over coffee set up they have in this room and begins the brewing process. 

Sam takes a seat at the large and very cold table. “It is a big deal. I would’ve gotten you something. Like…some free toilet paper. Or…Winn’s Tupperware.” Alex snorts out a laugh. Sam considers the possibility that she might be in love. “What were you doing up here all alone anyway?” 

“Oh.” Alex leaves the coffee to brew, grabs her laptop, and sits down next to Sam. “My mom sent me this.” Alex opens the laptop and clicks on a video file. What Sam sees nearly gives her a heart attack. It’s a video of Alex, no more than ten years old, surfing with a man - who Sam can only assume is her father. “This is at the beach near my house in Midvale. That’s my dad,” Alex explains. 

“You’re good,” Sam remarks honestly. 

“One of my many talents.”

“You sure you’ll still be able to surf, now that you’re certified geriatric?” 

“We’ll have to see when we go.” Sam turns to Alex. Now she’s worried. Had they talked about going surfing before? If they had, then Sam doesn’t remember, and if she doesn’t remember then she might not be fixed. “Ruby and I have been plotting.”

“I wonder what else you two have in store for me.”

“How about a new water filter in your fridge and a new ladder?” 

“What happened to the ladder?” Sam asks.

“I broke it. It’s wooden. Who gets a wooden ladder?” Sam ignores that and tries her best not to think about how much time Alex is spending with Ruby. Ruby talks about Alex a lot. Usually, if it’s just the two of them sitting in Sam’s ‘room’, Ruby perches on the end of her bed going on and on about how great Alex is. If Lena’s there, Ruby will try and sneak in some curse words and put the blame on Lena for being a bad influence. Sam always wants to ask: _are you safe, are you happy?_ But she never can. “We’ll get you home soon.”

“I’m still learning how to turn on lights without breaking the entire wall. It’ll be a while.” 

“Sooner than you think. Though…” Alex tugs at the sleeve of Sam’s scrubs. “You look pretty cute in these.” Sam’s heart warms in a way that can only be described as juvenile. “Shit. The coffee.” 

Alex grabs Sam’s new mug and fills it, putting in one creamer and two packs of sugar, which only makes Sam more enamored. She remembered what she likes in her coffee, the last person Sam dated barely remembered Ruby’s name. 

“You shouldn’t even be at work today. You should be enjoying your birthday out in the real world.”

“This is the real world too.” Alex pours herself a cup of coffee in a much less exciting white mug. “You’re here and you seem very real to me.” 

“I’m an alien.”

“You’re Sam,” Alex reminds her. “Don’t forget that.” It is easy to forget who she is sometimes. She’s been trapped in this place for so long. Not trapped. Rehabbing. The problem is that Sam doesn’t recognize herself anymore. Without her power suits and ‘normal’ routine, who is she? Barely a mother anymore. Barely even a person. The day flutters by in a blink of an eye and Sam has to watch everyone leave and pretend like she doesn’t know that they’re all going to celebrate Alex’s birthday. She finds that it’s surprisingly easy to squeal and laugh along with Kara while also staring at Alex across the room. She’s longing, genuinely, and it scares her. 

“Well…” Alex says with her bag slung over her shoulder. She’s standing at the threshold of Sam’s door. From what Sam remembers, Alex has never actually stepped foot into the room. I want you to feel like you have your own space, Alex had told her on day one at the DEO. “I should get going. I bet Kara has some kind of thing planned for tonight.” 

“Goodnight, Alex.” 

“Yeah…um…” Alex doesn’t leave the door. “Goodnight, and if…if you need anything, you can call me.”

“I should let you have your fun, birthday girl.” Alex smiles and toys with the strings of her hoodie. She starts to leave but then turns around. Her eyes find Sam’s. Alex doesn’t say anything but her nails digging into the frame make Sam think that she’s certainly laboring over something. “I’ll be fine here.” 

Alex nods and goes on her way. Sam spends the next hour racking her brain and trying to figure out if she’s ever felt like this before. Is this a crush? Is it because she’s been stuck here? If that’s the case, then surely she’d have crushes on Vasquez, Winn, and Kara too. Sam is determined to come to some kind of conclusion about her emotions and she’s also is determined to ignore it all. Alex is her friend. That’s all. 

So when she’s sweeping the floor, for the second time that day, and trying to kill time, she nearly jumps out of her skin when she spots Alex standing at her door. Alex has changed out of her casual outfit and gone for something nicer - dark jeans, a button-down, and a blue blazer. In Alex’s hand is a plate covered in foil. “I didn’t know if you’d still be up.”

“What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be at your party.”

“You knew?” Alex, finally, steps into the room. She sets the plate down on an empty table. “Why didn’t you say something?”

“It’s called a surprise party for a reason.” Sam peaks under the foil and sees that it’s cake. Red velvet, Sam’s favorite. 

“Can I tell you something?” Alex asks suddenly. “It’s kinda something that’s been on my mind a lot recently. But you can’t tell anyone.”

“Oooh, a secret? I love secrets.” Alex gently places her blazer on the back of a chair and leans against Sam’s makeshift desk. Sam is not about to sit around and wait until it’s appropriate to eat cake, she digs right in and plans on blaming her Kryptonian genes if Alex says something about it. “What’s up?”

“There’s this girl. Woman.” Alex clears her throat and starts again. “Over the past few months, I’ve started to realize that I might have a crush on someone. She’s gorgeous and so funny. But every time I try and admit my feelings to her, I…clam up.” Alex looks at her feet. “I don’t know if she’s just not interested or maybe hasn’t noticed how much I always want to be around her.”

“She sounds like a dummy. Right up your alley,” Sam jokes. Alex looks more confused than ever. 

“Yeah, well…I don’t think she’d even notice if I left an important event just to come talk to her.” Sam tries not to feel jealous. If Alex is interested in someone else then surely that’s good. Sam can let this crush die before it builds into something she can’t control. 

“You should kiss her. Honestly. Sometimes words are just…blah.” Alex looks at Sam the same way she did earlier. Instead of lingering and leaving, Alex approaches Sam, who - at this point - has red velvet crumbs on her face. 

Alex kisses her so softly that she thinks it’s a dream. Sam keeps her eyes closed, too frightened of waking up. “Did I break you?”

“No.”

“Did I scare you?”

“No.” Sam opens her eyes. “You…thank you.” 

“For?”

“Trusting me not to hurt you.” Sam hands her fork to Alex. “Join me?”

“Yeah.” Alex eats a bite of cake and smiles at Sam. 

“Good birthday?” 

“Good birthday.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wouldn't say no if someone made me red velvet cake


	7. "Change is annoyingly difficult"

Sam struggles with the zipper on her uniform like she always does. Half-burnt pancakes at 5:45 were a usual part of her morning routine but today, Ruby is actually ready on time. Sam is thankful that they are able to walk hand in hand to the bus stop without any dragging involved. Ruby waves goodbye, follows it up with a kiss, and today, Ruby doesn’t grumble about being embarrassed by Sam’s uniform. 

Sam decides, as she’s driving to Hank’s, that today will be a good day. She’ll need that because the future holds uncertainty, and while unemployment checks might give her a few weeks of freedom, she needs to start thinking about something permanent. Maybe a job without a uniform or early hours. “Another day, another fucking dollar,” Lucy says as they clock in with Hank who is sitting in his office crunching numbers and figuring out a way to give them another few days before gentrification shuts them down. 

Like most days, the early patrons are seeking nothing more than coffee, a few eggs, and decent conversation. Sam can handle most of the tables with one arm tied behind her back. Winn is in a good mood, which must have to do with the hickey on his neck, but Sam doesn’t make a comment about it. She’ll leave that to Lucy, who is cleaning the countertop and consolidating ketchup bottles. “Uh oh, here comes trouble,” Lucy mutters. Sam turns to see a group of construction workers who are in the middle of building the very place that is going to put Hank’s out of business. 

They’ve come here every day for a morning coffee and each time they get bolder with their leering. “I’ll take it,” The workers had caused enough turmoil that now Lucy and Sam rotate who gets to deal with them. Today it’s Sam’s turn. “Coffee?” She asks as she approaches the booth. 

“Might want something a little more. Something sweet.” Unfortunately, they’d been here so many times that Sam had learned their names. Steven was their obvious leader. He did most of the talking. “You’ll take care of us, won’t you, Sam?” Steven reaches his hand out like he’s going to touch her but Lucy swoops in and tugs Sam away before he can. Lucy brings Sam to the kitchen, where Winn peeks out over the counter. 

“Those guys causing problems?” Winn asks. 

“We’re fine,” Sam assures him trying to avoid a scene at all costs.

“Don’t look now but your secret admirer is here,” Winn says with a grin. “Not that it’s a secret.” Sam spots the woman walk into the diner and taking her usual spot at the counter. She’s wearing the same olive jean jacket that she always wears with her usual dark frayed jeans. The only difference is that she’s wearing a shirt that actually looks clean for a change, like she put in some effort, albeit slight. 

“Oh, shut up,” Sam chastises. 

“I’ll take the assholes, you go take care of your boo.” Sam takes the jokes with pride. It isn’t often that a girl like her gets to spend time with someone she actually likes. And Alex? She’s kind. Painfully quiet at times but as far as regulars go, Sam doesn’t mind being around someone who actually knows how to say thank you. 

Yes, Alex was an enigma. No matter how many times Sam had asked she never got a straight answer about where Alex was from or what she did for a living. All Sam knew was that Alex lived nearby, loved coffee, and had an affinity for pie. It’d been months and still Sam couldn’t figure her out. But that was the thing about this area and these people, lots of passers-through and not very many people who want to be known. “Hey, Peach Fuzz,” Sam teases as she slides behind the counter and pours Alex a cup of coffee.

Alex always greets her with a smile, more so now that Sam has given her a nickname. If Sam is feeling adventurous and it’s later in the day, she’ll sometimes run her fingers across Alex’s buzzcut which always makes Alex laugh. Sam will save that for later, she thinks. “How’s your morning going?”

“Good, you?” Sam glances over at the construction workers briefly, Alex’s eyes follow. 

“Are they bothering you?” Alex turns like she’s about to get up and do something about it, Sam grabs her wrist to hold her in place. 

“It’s fine.” Sam gives Alex a reassuring smile. “Fuck them, I would much rather hear about your day. Or night. Whichever.”

“I’m boring, you know that.”

“I doubt it.” Sam certainly has plenty of reasons to doubt. For one, Alex has showed up to the diner - not once but twice - with a black eye. One time when Sam and Lucy were using their smoke break to take a nap in the back of Lucy’s car, they’d heard Alex yelling on the phone about taking care of things. Out here, on the cusp of the country, most people have guns, but for some reason knowing that Alex carries a gun seems…different. Sam wasn’t certain that she had the guts to ask all the questions she wants to for fear of scaring Alex off.

“Lots of construction up Main,” Alex says. 

“Yeah. A new fancy, six-bucks-a-cup-of-Joe kinda place is moving in. We’re headed the way of the payphone. Obsolete.” 

“Out of business? Really? How soon?” This is the most Alex has ever talked and it comes as a surprise. She looks genuinely disturbed by the news. 

“Two weeks as far as I know.”

“Shit, I love this place.” Alex looks at the construction workers for a long beat. “It’s a shame.”

“Let me get you a slice of pie. We’ve got cherry, just for you,” Sam tells her as she heads toward the kitchen to check-in. Lucy scampers over after her, grabbing her arm and pulling her into the kitchen. Winn looks between them, sweat from the heat of the kitchen covering his brow. Lucy dismisses Sam’s eagerness to leave the kitchen in favor of - at least - an open window. 

“What is going on there?” Lucy asks. She peeks out of the kitchen and watches Alex drink her coffee peacefully. “Goddamn, she is honestly a dreamboat.” Lucy jabs her finger against Sam’s chest. “And you’re just flaunting yourself around there and not getting laid? You’re an embarrassment to waitresses everywhere.”

“And cooks,” Winn chimes in. “Her eyes have been glued to you for three months now. 

“Exactly! Why don’t you just saunter on over there and figure out if she tastes like peaches or not.” Sam rolls her eyes so hard that she has to brace herself against the door. “Come on,” Lucy grabs Sam’s arm and pulls her out of the kitchen and behind the counter. They do a few mindless tasks, all the while Lucy keeps her eyes on Alex. “What’s your shirt say?” Alex looks down at her shirt and smiles. 

“It says ‘No TERFS on my TURF’.” Sam looks at the shirt herself wondering if it’s possible to like someone without really knowing them. 

“Take that jacket off, Sam and I get hit on all day, we deserve some eye candy.” Sometimes Sam loves Lucy. They’d been stuck in this aimless job for so long that she forgets that they aren’t really partners in crime. Right now, Sam is trying her best not to enjoy this. Lucy’s filter had gone out the window years ago and now she was all suggestive comments and playful banter. Sam wishes she had the guts to say some of the things she does. For now, Sam watches. She watches Alex take off her jacket and reveal nice arms that could certainly hold or lift Sam. Perhaps on this very countertop. 

Lucy whistles. 

“You got a permit for those things?” Lucy is on a roll and soon Alex is either going to crumble under their gaze or show that she has a bit of bite. Winn personally delivers a slice of cherry pie to Alex and she gives him a firm handshake and a pat on the back. Alex might not realize it but she’s made a mark on this tiny little diner. Just when all the attention seems to be on her, Steven waves Sam over, showing that he’s ready to pay his bill.

“Here you are, sweetheart.” Getting smacked on her ass is something that happens once every few weeks. But not usually by Steven and certainly not in front of Alex. 

Before Sam can register what happened, Alex has Steven by the collar and is - effortlessly - lifting him to his feet. Alex says nothing which is somehow even more frightening. She stares at Steven, unravels him with one look, and he, and his buddies trip over themselves to leave. 

Alex returns to her seat and continues eating pie, Sam suddenly gets it into her mind that Alex might be dangerous. Not in a bad way but perhaps, and this thought hits her at full force, Alex is actually on the run from something. They are practically in the middle of nowhere. The gun, the hushed phone conversations, the way that Alex always seems to avoid revealing any personal details. Sam softly touches Alex’s shoulder and mutters the kindest thank you she can muster up before she grabs the back of Lucy’s uniform and drags her into the bathroom. 

“I’m flattered but I got fucked to oblivion last night by this chick - who had a great collection of toys by the way - and I can barely walk-.”

“Lucy! No.” Sam shakes her head and pulls Lucy into a stall, locking it behind them. “I don’t want to…ew…I just think that maybe…maybe…”  
  


“Use your words.”

“Is Alex kind of…strange to you? As in…” Sam clears her throat. “The way she just kinda tossed dumbass Steven aside, it was like she’s…”

“In the Mafia?” 

“What?!”

“Is that not where this was going?” Lucy crosses her arms over her chest. “I mean, she’s for sure involved in organized crime of some sort.”

“Okay, that’s terrifying.” Sam bites her nails for a second, pondering over every scenario that comes to mind. “But she’s so cute.”

“Killers can be cute,” Lucy says. “Though, she looks more like one of those enforcers. Like she’s just there to scare people off not murder them.”

“That’s enough.” Sam raises her hand to stop Lucy. “I don’t even know why I’m so invested in this. In two weeks, we’re gonna be out of a job, and I’ll probably never see her again.” 

“Change can be annoyingly difficult,” Lucy says with a sigh. “Let’s get back out there.”

Sam doesn’t let her concerns derail her day. She’s got plenty to get done, lots of gossip to spread between customers, and the casual flirting that has become the norm between her and Alex. Usually, Alex leaves before the lunch rush but today she sits through it, ordering an actual meal for a change. Sam watches her eat. There’s something enticing about it. Uninhibited and messy, Sam has had about all she can handle. “Hey, Peach, can I get you anything else?” 

“Nah, I think I should head out.” Alex stands and grabs her jacket. She digs into her pocket and pulls out a few bills tossing them on the counter.

“That’s way too much,” Sam tells her. This is a game they play every day, one that Alex never lets her win. “You’re spoiling me.”

“I try.” Alex digs around in her pocket and pulls out a pack of cigarettes. “Smoke break?”

“You’re definitely trouble.”

“Never said I wasn’t.”

“Hey, Luce, I’m gonna take five,” Sam hollers to where Winn and Lucy are bullshitting near the kitchen.

“Take longer,” Lucy suggests, winking at Alex. 

They walk outside and Alex immediately lights up. She offers a cigarette to Sam, who accepts it gladly. For a while, they lean against the side of the building watching a tractor work the fields in the distance. The lunch crowd has mostly disappeared and now they’re moving into the lull of the rest of the day. Alex’s 1977 _Ford Bronco_ is sitting there in the parking lot. Sam had noticed a few weeks ago that Alex always parked at the rear of the building. 

A quick escape route, Sam now realizes. 

“You married?” Alex asks out of the blue, Sam shakes her head. “Seeing anyone?” Sam shakes her head again, this time very much aware of Alex’s eyes on her. “Wanna fuck?” 

The thing about Sam Arias is that this kind of thing was not totally out of her wheelhouse. In fact, from what she can remember of the night, Ruby was conceived in a car. But fucking someone who she barely knew, who was probably in the Mafia, and who somehow managed to give her the best orgasm of her life - in less than six minutes, she might add - was certainly something Sam hadn’t expected of herself. 

Sam knows this story. Alex is like some kind of rough and ready drifter who breaks the heart of every woman in her path. Sam gladly takes one for the team as she lets Alex do whatever the hell she wants with her as they rock together in the back of Alex’s jeep. 

It all ends rather unceremoniously. Sam lying on her back trying to catch her breath, Alex wiping her fingers on her jeans with a smirk. “Damn, you look so good right now.” 

“Let me do something for you,” Sam offers. 

“Next time,” Alex suggests. “Right now, I’ve got some shit to get done.” Alex plants a firm kiss on Sam’s lips before they part and she drives off to do God knows what. Sam returns to a fairly quiet diner and tries to stop herself from feeling like a bundle of chaos for the rest of the day. 

It is totally unsurprising when Sam picks up her newspaper the following day. She suspects that everyone in town will be frightened but all Sam feels is relief. Winn and Lucy practically tackle her when she arrives at the diner, each ranting and screaming about how there might be a maniac out there. “I mean, holy fuck, they burned the entire building down!” Winn yells. 

“Sam, doesn’t this kind of seem like something someone in the mafia might do?” It’s a pointed accusation. One that Sam doesn’t take lightly. She looks down at the article again “Arson Suspected at Future Cafe Site”. The pictures tell the whole story. Someone had burned down the very place that was going to put Hanks out of business. “Either way, my ass is thrilled that we still have our jobs.” Sam agrees, almost too easily. 

The wait feels endless. Sam breaks two plates that morning while she tiptoes around the diner, hoping - fucking praying - that Alex will show up. When the clock strikes 2, Sam has convinced herself that Alex is long gone. 

Two minutes later, Alex walks through the doors wearing black pants, a black shirt, and a grey tweed trench coat. Sam finds herself struggling for words. She needs to say something firm. Alex looks like someone who has never been told ‘no’ and that kind of cockiness was not going to play here. “Hey, Fuzz, have an eventful night?” Sam asks pouring Alex’s coffee like always. 

“Nothing too exciting.”

“Did you hear? About that building.”

“Tough luck, huh?” Alex grins. “Well, at least, it’s lucky for you.”

“You really are bad news.” Alex gets a kick out of that. 

“When’s your smoke break?” Alex asks eagerly. 

“Are you crazy-?”

“I thought we had a spark. Plenty of fire between us and that’s something that can’t be contained.” Sam forces herself not to laugh or even smile. Alex isn’t convinced. “I’ll be outside, come find me, if you’re up for it.” Sam won’t be following. Alex is dangerous. 

A menace to society. 

Sam bites her tongue, tosses the rag she’d been using to clean the counter and yells to Lucy, “I’m gonna take a smoke break!” Lucy cocks her head to the side and, thankfully, doesn’t ask what she’s doing taking a break so early. “Could be a while.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recently (about a month ago, I think) got a buzz cut, and I am loving it
> 
> Also, everyone who's been reaching out and chatting with me on Tumblr (team-science-mega-nerds) is awesome and I really appreciate it!


	8. "We could have a chance."

Hazy smoke wafts through the dimly lit pool hall. It’s a popular night. Pitchers of beer at every table, a basketball game playing on a big-screen TV, and money and bets waging between invested players. There’s a large ‘No Gambling’ sign hanging behind the bar but no one pays it any mind as they try to get lucky on a cool fall night in the city. 

This is Alex’s usual hangout. The place is popular enough to get some turnaround with new players and that makes nights like this fun. This was also the only time Kara let her smoke without making some passive-aggressive comments and threatening to tell Eliza. Alex enjoyed the beer, she enjoyed the game, but most importantly, Alex enjoyed how many men underestimated the Danvers sisters each and every time they walked into this place. 

Making money was easy, mainly because Kara looked like she could never properly do anything without falling into a clumsy streak, but when she’s focused they can’t be beaten. This is why, when a sleazy guy wearing a leather vest over a half washed t-shirt tosses a hundred dollar bill on the pool table, Alex doesn’t even flinch. Alex and Kara have a perfect flow together. Kara gets flashier as the game goes on, Alex sticks to a safer approach, but they both pocket ball after ball with ease. The man doesn’t know what the fuck hit them and soon, Kara and Alex are hundred dollars richer and Alex orders them each a shot to celebrate. 

It’s as she’s slamming her shot glass down on the table that Alex first notices her. Tall, brunette, gorgeous, and totally out of place. Alex is intrigued. “Well, hello,” she mutters to herself, watching the woman order a glass of white wine at a place filled with hard liquor and cheap beer. 

“What are you looking…” Kara’s eyes widen and she fumbles around with her glasses for a second. “…at?” 

“Okay, how does my hair look?” Alex asks Kara as she hurriedly combs through it with her hands. Kara ignores Alex and stands up on her toes to get a better look. 

“Shit.”

“What?” Alex asks, watching Kara turn around and face the pool table. 

“Shit.”

“You never swear. It’s creepy,” Alex looks at the woman and sees that there’s another, insanely attractive woman sitting next to her and chatting at the bar. “Shit.”

“Exactly,” Kara deadpans. They both scramble to fix their hair, make sure their outfits - which are more or less grubby jeans and t-shirts - look decent, and try and play it casual. “Don’t look now, but one of them is walking over.” Alex does, in fact, look. Alex’s heart races as the woman walks right up to her and smiles. 

“Hi,” The woman looks at the table, the balls have all been pocketed by now, and that seems to intrigue her. “I’m Sam.”

“Hi, Sam, I’m Alex.” Kara clears her throat beside her. “And this is Kara, my baby sister.”

“Baby?” Kara scoffs. 

“So, my friend and I…” Sam makes a big show of looking at her friend. Said friend looks back at them, a slight upturn of her lips, but not a smile. “We’re in town, on business, and we noticed that you two have been on a roll.” 

“Oh, yeah?” Alex plays it cool. Kara does not.

“Your friend? Her.” Kara actually points. “What’s her name?”

“You can ask her yourself.” Sam leans closer to Kara. “She likes bourbon on the rocks.” It takes Kara a second to understand what Sam is saying but eventually she does leave to awkwardly approach the woman at the bar. “How much money have you pocketed tonight?” 

“There’s no gambling here,” Alex lies nodding to the sign. Sam takes the pool stick out of Alex’s hand and starts grabbing the balls out of the pockets. Alex watches attentively, trying her best not to stare every time Sam bends over. “You play?”

“Absolutely not.” Sam finally grabs a rack and starts putting the balls in. “But maybe I haven’t had the right teacher.” 

“Maybe.” 

“Well, go on.” Sam grabs the pool stick that Kara discarded moments ago and hands it to Alex. “Teach me.” It’s more like an invitation than anything else. Sam is a giant flirt. And she’s playing coy and naive. “I don’t know how to break.” Alex nods and stands behind Sam. 

“Do you even know how to hold this thing?”

“Show me.” Alex places Sam’s hand on the pool stick properly. 

“Then you have to bend over-.”

“What? No foreplay?” Sam grins at Alex, pressing closer to Alex’s body. “Okay, so…like this?” Sam readies her pool stick and tries to hit the cue ball. It veers left, dramatically, and barely clunks into the balls. Alex tries not to laugh. “Fuck you.” 

“Sorry.” Sam squints at the table. 

“You made it look so easy.”

“I play all the time.” Alex re-racks the balls. “So, what exactly brought you here of all places?” Alex looks down at Sam’s designer dress and shoes and then over at her friend, who is equally out of place. “Doesn’t appear to be your scene.” 

“You know what happened today?” 

“What?” 

“I sold my car.” Sam leans against the pool table thoughtfully. “Lena, that’s my friend over there, had been begging me to sell the damn thing for years. We have massive business meetings with people who go to charity galas and five years ago, I’d beg anyone for an ounce of charity.” Sam looks slightly perturbed by her honesty. “I lived in that car,” She admits. “All scenes are my scene.” 

“I didn’t mean to suggest otherwise.” Alex means that and she thinks that Sam can see that because-

“Okay, let’s play.” Sam pulls a few bills out of her purse and tosses them on the table. 

“Whoa, if you want to give me your money, I’ll just take it now. We don’t have to go through-.”

“You scared?” Sam challenges. Alex closes her mouth, chalks her pool stick, and throws some money down on the table. She gets ready to break. Sam gives her a look. Something that says, you have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into. Alex supposes that she should’ve known she was getting played at that moment. But she’d been defiant and eager to show off. Her pride, of course, was her downfall. But she wasn’t the only one bringing something to the table. 

Sam could go pro, genuinely. Alex laughs, more awkwardly than anything else, as Sam pockets ball after ball. Halfway through thoroughly demolishing Alex, Sam walks around the table, slips the cigarette out of Alex’s mouth and puts it in her own mouth. “What the fuck?” Alex asks as Sam pockets the last ball. 

Sam grabs the money off the pool table and puts it in her bra with a wicked grin. 

“Did you enjoy that?” Sam looks rather pleased with herself. “My friend over there, she’s not so bad herself. We thought we could have a chance against you two but then I saw how cute you were and I guess your sister got distracted-.”

“You’re an ass,” Alex tells her but she can’t help the smile on her face. 

“Don’t worry, it’s not a money thing. I just needed to blow off some steam.” 

“Glad I could be of service.” 

“You can still be of service if you want.” Sam toys with the strap of her dress, pulling it off her shoulder. “I already know you don’t follow the rules.” 

“So…basically, you came here for trouble?” 

“Yes, do I have it or what?” Alex grabs Sam’s hand and leads her toward the bathroom. “I guess that’s my answer.” Alex pulls Sam into a stall, presses her back to the wall, and kisses her. Alex can feel the tension leave her body. Alex grabs the bottom hem of Sam’s dress and lifts until she can tough Sam’s lace underwear. “You don’t waste any time.” 

“Nope.” Alex kisses her again and then, abruptly pulls back. Sam stares at her, watching the smile creep up on Alex’s face, as Alex flashes the bundle of bills from their earlier game. “Don’t play a player.” Alex opens the stall door and gives Sam a wink. “Hope to see you around.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've never been to a pool hall but I'd go just so I have an excuse to wear a leather jacket and smoke


	9. "You can't give more than yourself"

Alex skates around the rink. By now she’s shed most of her gear and is left with only her pants, shin pads, and gloves on. Practice shots should be easy but the hockey stick feels heavy after the grind of an intense game. Alex rolls up the sleeves on her National City Bruisers hoodie and takes another shot. 

Losses hurt. They always have. But it’s part of this game and _this _is the life that Alex has chosen. It’s mostly thankless. Hard practices, brutal games, and the hope that they can stave off injuries long enough to get invited to the Olympics next year. But Alex can’t stop practicing, she can’t stop beating herself up over missed passes, she’s a perfectionist and it’ll probably destroy her. “Um... “ Alex turns and sees a woman, bundled up in a double-layered jacket, looking slightly frazzled and very confused. “Sorry...I’m...sorry, can you be there?” Alex cocks her head to the side, watching the woman speed walk around the rink and stop at the open entrance. She looks at the ice like a kid looking at a monster under their bed. 

“Yeah, I can.” That’s not the answer the woman is looking for. Alex skates over and stops a few feet away from her. “Just getting a few shots in.”

“Oh, you’re…” The woman blushes and Alex tries her best not to find it cute. “That game was tough.”

“Yeah.” Alex starts to turn and return to her shots-

“Wait! Hold on, I have to…” The woman sighs. “I’m Sam, I’m the new Zamboni operator.” 

“You?” Alex almost laughs. “What happened to Tony?” 

“PCP and Redbull,” Sam explains. “I need to...look, I get fifteen bucks for this. It’s my third job of the day and my kid is waiting for Richard to pay me after this so-.”

“Richard’s a dick.” Alex skates across the rink, scoops up the puck, and balances it on her hockey stick. Sma looks insanely unimpressed and tired. Alex can relate to that. “Look...I can’t go home right now. I’ll get really drunk and call my ex and I’m kinda trying to move on from those decisions.” Alex thinks for a moment. “I’ll pay you-.”

“You can go to hell-.”

“Thirty bucks.” Sam eyes Alex suspiciously. “And...there’s a shit ton of food in the fridge.”

“I don’t want to get in trouble.”

“You won’t. Any problems, I’ll take the heat.” Alex isn’t certain that she should be promising anything to anyone but she can’t go home right now. She doesn’t have a level head. “You like the ice.”

“No.”

“You picked quite the gig.” 

“In my situation, there isn’t a lot of picking.” Alex decides, easily, that she needs to stop making assumptions. Alex can see the exhaustion in Sam’s eyes and then, a girl walking through the stands and cozying up close to Sam. “Sweetie, go sit over there-.”

“You ever skate?” Alex asks. The kid looks surprised that she’s been addressed but eager to poke her head further out from behind Sam. “They rent skates here...but I can get them for free, if…” Alex looks to Sam, afraid that she’s made a mistake by even mentioning the idea. 

“Can I, mom?” 

“I...seriously just...I’d do anything to keep my mind off of the game. I’m a good teacher, I promise.” There must have been something about Alex’s pleading eyes or the sincerity in her voice because soon she finds herself breaking into the front desk and getting the keys to the skate rental kiosk. _ Ruby_, as Alex learns a few minutes into their mission, is excited to learn. Sam is supportive but clearly frightened of her daughter getting hurt. 

Alex kneels in front of Ruby and helps her get into her skates. “Alright, so it’s really important that you tie these bad boys tight.” Alex demonstrates by untying and retying her shoes. She grunts dramatically to show Ruby how tight it should be. “Perfect!” Alex smiles and helps Ruby stand. She glances at Sam, “What about you?”

“I like solid ground.” 

“She’s scared,” Ruby whispers in Alex’s ear. 

“Oh, I see.” Alex laughs. 

“You _ see _ what?” Sam looks between them suspiciously. “I’ll sit over here-.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if you were out there with us?” Alex suggests, Sam looks horrified. “You can hang onto the wall.” Alex is unashamed by the fact that she finds Sam to be cute. The way her cheeks get flush as she’s mumbling under her breath and throwing on skates doesn’t hurt. “Do you need me to hold your hand?”

“Don’t get cute,” Sam warns. 

Alex leads Ruby and Sam to the rink. Ruby is agreeable and happy to slowly take a few steps on the ice. Sam is at a stalemate. “Do you wanna know what’s great about ice skating?” Ruby nods. She’s half focuses on attempting to move her feet while maintaining a double grip on the wall. “It looks really funny when someone falls.” Alex demonstrates by falling on her butt, Ruby cracks up. “See, it’s not so bad, huh?”

“You make it look easy.” 

“It is.” Alex holds out her hands and Ruby takes them. “Let’s glide.” They do. It’s simple and fun and Alex hasn’t taken a route back into the basics for a long time. She laughs along with Ruby, excited by the idea that this could be new to anyone. Sometimes she forgets that there’s a starting point and when Ruby is ready - eyes wide and bordering on confident - Alex lets her go. “Holy shit!” Alex says watching Ruby skate forward on her own. 

“Rubes, you’re doing amazing!” Alex turns to see that Sam has inched forward on the ice but she hasn’t moved much. She still looks petrified but very proud of her daughter. 

“I can teach you too,” Alex offers.

“I’m fine right here.” Alex skates to Sam and holds out her hands, just like she had with Ruby. “I’m fine.” 

“I’m surprisingly good at this, you know.” Alex grins. “Close your eyes.”

“Like hell-.”

“You’re stubborn as shit,” Alex nods over at Ruby who has moved onto practicing stopping against the wall. “Pretend you’re a kid. Pretend the world isn’t scary.” Sam takes her hands and doesn’t close her eyes, and as Alex leads Sam around the rink, slowly, all of the torturous thoughts that had been raging in her mind disappoint. Alex forgets the loss and holds onto a woman she barely knows. “This is fun, huh?”

“Ridiculously so,” Sam admits. “Sorry about the game.”

“It’s funny, you know? The word _ game _.” Alex ponders for a moment. “This sport is my life.”

“You can’t give more than yourself,” Sam tells her. Sam squeezes her hands tighter as they move around the curve together. “Turns out there are better things in life than money or glory. Rubes and I struggle but we have each other. I’m thankful for that.” Sam never lets go of Alex’s hands the whole time they’re skating. Alex doesn’t mind, she enjoys the warmth that she brings. 

After, while Ruby and Alex press their noses against the glass and watch Sam work the zamboni, Alex wonders if she’s doing this right. Life is hard and it can be lonely and something about Ruby and Sam makes Alex feel like...maybe her world is changing. “Your mom is cool.”

“Yeah. I know.”

“Sorry, that you’ll be late going home. I guess...I guess, I just wanted to hang out with people.”

“It’s okay to be lonely,” Ruby loops her arm around Alex’s. “My mom never does stuff like this.”

“Like what?”

“Taking chances on people.” 

Perhaps, Alex wants to hang onto the moment too bad. Maybe that’s why she finds herself watching Sam and Ruby pack up and is struggling with letting go. “There’s this pizza place…” Alex chuckles, _ what the hell is she doing? _“I can order something for you, if...uh...sorry.” 

“We’d love to go, if that’s what you’re asking.” Sam searches Alex’s eyes and smiles. “I like pizza, what about you, Rubes?”

“I love pizza.” 

Alex has no game. She thinks that Sam probably knows that because she’s covering her smile and watching Alex scramble to grab her things. At least Ruby is laser-focused on pizza which gives a little bit of room for Alex to properly give directions. Ruby gets into Sam’s van and Sam and Alex stare at each other for a long moment. “What the fuck am I doing?” Sam asks herself. She runs her fingers through her hair and sighs. “Is this a bad idea?”

“Let’s find out.”

“You were really good with Ruby.” Sam eyes Alex’s motorcycle, a nervous but curious glint in her eyes. “That’s a start.” 

Alex spends the short drive over to the pizza joint, wondering if she’s dreaming. She went from having one of the toughest days of her life to one of the best far too easily. Alex is happy to roll with the punches and she does when they arrive at the restaurant and wait to be seated. Alex can see the question hanging over them. Sam is clearly concerned about money and wondering if Alex is some asshole who wants to treat her nice just to get in her pants. Alex doesn’t know how she can make her intentions clearer except by being herself. “My sister and I come here all the time.”

“Younger sister, I assume.”

“Yeah...how’d you know?” 

“A good guess.” Sam motions Ruby forward as the waiter leads them to a booth. When they sit down and Alex realizes that Ruby and Sam are next to each other, she starts to feel like this is the beginning of an interrogation. Sam smiles and watches closely as Alex sweats under her gaze. Alex needs to figure out how to play it cool for once. “What’s good here?”

“Everything!” Alex flips open the menu. “Any allergies?” Alex peaks over the menu and sees them both shake their heads. “Good. We’ll get the spaghetti pizza.” 

“Spaghetti...pizza?” Sam questions, scrunching her face up adorably. 

“That sounds cool!” Ruby exclaims. 

“Exactly, Ruby, you get it.” Alex looks at Sam pointedly. “We’re not gonna have an ice rink situation again, are we? ‘Cause I can be just as stubborn as you.” 

“Come on, mom.” Ruby urges, grabbing her arm and rocking her side to side until Sam finally nods her head in agreement. “Thanks!” Ruby gets easily distracted by crayons and a crossword puzzle and Alex is trying her best to give them space but her eyes keep finding Sam’s. 

“Do you like it out here?” Sam finally asks.

“As in...the city? I guess.” She didn’t have a lot of options either way but she’d made a home of it. “I didn’t always live here. I lived sort of...in a rural area for a while.”

“How’d you like that?”

“Loved it. The thing that I miss the most is this little windchime I had. There were little sparkling hummingbirds on it. Damn, I loved that thing.” Ruby and Sam exchange a subtle look but before Alex can ask why their food arrives. The conversation is easy from there. Alex gets caught up in everything Ruby is learning at school and then hangs onto every world as Sam explains her office job. Alex is happy not to think about herself for a moment and learn anything and everything about these two wonderful people. 

When the check comes, Sam practically lunges for it. Alex understands and doesn’t make a big show of paying but instead offers to tip. “Mom, we have to get home to Ducky,” Ruby says, as she grabs Sam and tugs her toward their van. 

“Ducky?”

“Our dog, he’s…” Sam pries Ruby’s hand off her arm. “A handful.”

“Oh, sweet. I love dogs.” That gets Ruby to stop rushing and turn to face Alex. “Well, thank you guys for hanging out with me, it was-.”

“Mom, can Alex meet Ducky?” Ruby blurts out. Alex is all ready to protest to avoid any drama. She’s overstayed her welcome and doesn’t want to push it. 

“If she wants,” Sam gives Alex a bright smile. “He’s really cute and he loves new friends.” 

“Yeah? I could follow you…?” Alex makes a mental note to tell Kara everything. From the moment Sam showed up at the rink to the moment Alex pulled into Sam’s driveway and saw an adorable brown and white three-legged pitbull running toward her. Alex nearly cries as she’s showered with puppy kisses and tries her best not to totally fall in love. “Oh my god!” 

“Can I take a picture of you? My friends won’t believe that you’re such a softie when it comes to dogs.” Alex doesn’t care what Sam does as long as she gets to keep playing with this dog. “Dweeb.”

“Thank you,” Alex replies with a wink. “You should’ve led with _ I have the cutest dog in the world _.”

“Noted.” Sam looks over her shoulder at Ruby and mouths something. Ruby scampers into the house and Alex feels like this is a very fitting end. 

“How about I get you tickets to our next game?” Alex offers

“Maybe.”

“Please.”

“Maybe-.”

“Please.” Alex looks down at her feet. 

“Okay.” Sam takes a step closer to Alex, Ducky still excitedly wagging his tail at their feet. There’s a cool breeze and then Alex hears a very familiar wind chime coming from Sam’s front porch. She spots the hummingbird chime and cocks her head to the side. Obviously something miraculous had brought them together. Whether it was fate or not was still yet to be determined. “This felt like...a first date.”

“It did, didn’t it?” Alex wants to reach out to touch Sam but she isn’t sure if that’s the right thing to do now or ever. “You can kiss me if you want.” Alex surprises herself by saying it, Sam blushes like crazy. “Look, I promise I’m not some cool, suave asshole. But if this _ was _a date, I think it went pretty well.” 

“I haven’t kissed anyone in like…” Sam covers her face with her hands. “Four years.” 

“You can say ‘no’, I won’t be offended.” 

Sam lets her arms fall to her sides. She grabs the front of Alex’s hoodie and pulls her close. “Don’t laugh at me.”

“I won’t.”

“You’re really cute.”

“So are you.” The kiss brings butterflies to Alex’s stomach. They flutter and float and Alex has no idea how to find balance again. And then Sam is laughing against her lips and diving back in for more and more, and they’re making out on a night where Alex thought she might drown herself in beer and instead she’s drowning herself in this incredible woman and-

“Kissing’s ridiculous,” Sam says as she pulls back. “I guess that’s why I like it so much.” Sam kisses her again and it’s like a promise, one that they both intend to keep. “Now, get some rest, Ms. Most goals in a year.”

“I thought you weren’t into hockey.” Sam lets out a laugh and swings open her front door, where Ruby had - apparently - been spying on them the whole time. Alex starts for her bike, struggling not to smile. 

Losing isn’t so bad after all.


	10. "Patience...is not something I'm known for."

The hardest part is remaining calm. It always seems more frantic than it really is but eventually more help will arrive. Everyone will survive and Alex can return home and have a beer. Of course, it’s much easier for her to say all of this. She has safety gear, she has a clear path to the entrance, and she has an - annoying but brilliant - Winn at her side. This isn’t an easy cave to trek through. That’s the first thing she thought about when she got the call. It’s difficult, dark, and dangerous and certainly not a place for beginners. Usually, this is the kind of place that people  _ might  _ get lost in but rarely trapped and that’s where most of her jitters are coming from. 

An unstable barrier of rocks stands in her way and without the necessary equipment, this is going to end in tragedy. Alex does have faith, she has to, that James will arrive back in time. For now, Alex keeps the woman, who has been trapped for approximately three hours, talking. “You still doing okay?” Alex and Winn had only been there for about ten minutes. Immediately, they’d recognized the danger and determined that this rescue would require special equipment. James had run so fast to get help, that Alex had to chase him down just to remind him that there were other people that required medical treatment. 

“I’m alright.” That was probably a lie but it’s good that she was telling herself that. Sam, an avid spelunker, had come here with her friends - Jack and Lena - for a little weekend getaway. Jack is currently sitting in the back of an ambulance, in shock. Lena had to get sedated to prevent her from tearing into the rocks and causing more chaos on the scene. “I’m usually really careful.”

“This was a freak accident,” Alex reminds her. “We’ll get you out of there.” Winn diligently studies the cave map looking for a plan that might actually work. “How are you feeling, Sam?”

“I’m fine.”

“I mean  _ really _ .”

“Terrified.” Alex flicks on a flashlight and studies the map again. This was going to be a tough mission but this is what they do. “Are Lena and Jack okay?”

“They’re in shock. The moment I know more, I’ll tell you, I promise.” Alex has learned over the years that promises are the key to every rescue. Never tell someone in danger that you will save them, give them small scraps of hope to hang onto. Guilt is a menace and burden. “I bet you didn’t think your day would end up like this.”

“Yours too.” Sam laughs, it’s quiet but cuts through the tension enough to make Winn crack a smile too. “What were you doing before this?”

“Oh, it’s boring…”

“I’m trapped in a cave, everything that reminds me of the world out there is amazing as far as I’m concerned.”

“Okay.” Alex adjusts her body so that she is closer to where Sam is trapped. “I was watching  _ Jeopardy _ and eating  _ Cheetos _ .”

“What kind of  _ Cheetos _ ?”

“Flamin’ Hot-.”

“Puffs?”

“No,” Alex listens to a groan on the other side of the barrier. “What? Sam? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, just, how sad is it that you’re living your life eating inferior  _ Cheetos _ ?” Alex tries not to laugh but falters. She isn’t used to someone making jokes when they’re in danger. Winn gets a radio call, thankfully, so he has to leave the cave before he has time to make fun of Alex. “You have a nice laugh.”

“It’s the cave. Makes you hallucinate and think everything new thing is wonderful.”

“This is a pretty good hallucination so far.” Winn returns with a gurney and some equipment. “How’d you get into this line of work?”

“Oh, um…” Alex ponders that thought. It was less about  _ getting into this kind of work _ and more like falling over herself through her early 20s and finally landing a job that had enough action to keep her motivated. Alex likes saving people, she likes being the hero. “I like helping people.” 

“Does it get scary?”

“Always,” Alex tells her truthfully. “But I’ve trained for this. We all have trained for this, you’re in good hands.”

“I know.”

“Where are you from?” This is a technique, Winn likes to call  _ stalling _ . There’s still no sign of James or any backup and they need two oxygen masks and tanks and Alex has no idea when they’ll arrive. 

“Buffalo. But I moved to Metropolis about six years ago.” 

“Isn’t it really cold up there?”

“Yeah, but I like the cold..” Alex can hear the smile in Sam’s voice, she knows that Sam is the type of woman who enjoys being tough. “Lena was my saving grace. But we never did things like this. Not unlike Jack got us drunk like a year ago and we decided to give it a try.”

“It’s not an easy hobby.”

“I’m not an easy girl,” Sam replies. “Well, except back in college. Or if a woman has an undercut-.” Winn bursts out laughing, Alex kicks his shin. “Oh, that got a reaction. Who’s out there with you?”

“Hi, Ms. Arias, I’m Winn. Sorry, to laugh, caves make me manic.” 

“Hi, Winn, any...updates?” There’s a slight hint of desperation in her voice, something that hadn’t been there a second ago. Alex needs to say something to keep Sam calm, or they could risk a very dangerous turn of events. 

“Just a little bit longer.”

“Patience...is not something I’m known for.” Alex doesn’t like the sound of that response. “Got any dynamite? Let’s just blow all these rocks up.”

“Sounds like the opposite of a  _ good  _ plan.” Alex grabs the map again. “Okay, Winn, I need you to go through the woods and link up with James. We need a two wetsuits, three tanks, a gurney, and a kit-.”

“But-.”

“I know. It’s better to have her out of there, now go.” Winn does as he’s told and Alex hopes that she’s keeping a level head. “Okay, Sam, we’ve got a plan. I can you through it, if you want.”

“Is it scary? I mean, obviously, it is but...will we make it out of here? Don’t send anyone in here if there’s any chance-.”

“It’s our job. It’s  _ my  _ job. This is a cakewalk but I need you to stay focused.” Alex starts gathering supplies. “Let me play hero, okay?” 

“I feel like I’m in a movie.” Sam sighs. “Dammit, I’m the damsel in distress.” 

“Don’t sell yourself short. You did make it through most of a really impressive route. And you’re gonna have a fucking incredible story to tell.” James and Winn return with the equipment and Alex immediately starts getting her gear on. “Okay, Sam. We’re almost ready to start heading toward you. Winn is going to stay here and keep talking to you. My buddy James and I are going to go to the east channel, through the water, and then make our way to you. We’ll look like creepy scuba divers but Winn has trackers on our equipment so he can tell you exactly when we’ll be meeting up with you.” 

“Should I stay where I am?”

“Yes. Don’t move and don’t worry. We’ll be right there.” This is the best part, Alex thinks and she and James depart. All the planning and build-up is stressful but when it comes down to it, she and James have done things like this a million times. It isn’t often that they do water rescues or cave rescues that involve completely submerging in water to escape but Alex finds it comforting, especially knowing that someone as skilled as James is at her side. 

As promised, Alex hears the end of some very long and dramatic explanation from Winn, informing Sam that James and Alex are there. Just in time, it seems, because Sam looks drained by the time they approach. “Jesus Christ, you two look like some kind of sci-fi monsters,” Sam remarks pointing to the masks their wearing. James and Alex laugh, lifting up their masks and showing Sam that they are two very real and  _ relatively  _ normal people. “Wow, now it feels like I’m having a very specific sex dream. Not quite sure what that says about me.” Sam allows herself to get strapped into the gurney and smiles as Alex checks the oxygen levels on their tanks. “It was kind of rude of you not to tell me how hot you are.”

“Kinda rude of you too,” Alex replies. James clears his throat loudly. 

“Um, this is fun and all but...we should get going.” James is right, of course, but that doesn’t stop Alex and Sam from sharing a smile before the masks return. 

“Okay, this is the fun part. You’ll be on the gurney from now until we get to the ambulance. It sounds like a long time but it’s necessary.” Alex fastens the last buckle. “It might seem scary underwater. It will feel like we’re under there for an hour, but it’ll only be 5 minutes. I’ll be holding your hand the entire time and the only thing I need you to do is tap the back of my hand with your thumb. This lets me know that everything is okay. Give it a try.” Alex holds Sam’s hand and Sam lightly taps it. “Good.” 

“Winn, we’re ready to go!” James shouts.

“Roger.” 

“Now, Sam, if you stop tapping, that’s my signal that something is wrong. James and I will move forward or backward depending on how far we are down the channel. Starting again isn’t a problem.” 

“Okay,” Sam nods her head and James gives Alex’s a thumbs up. They’re ready to go. 

Alex is comforted by the gentle tapping, it’s an easy reminder that this isn’t a drill, that someone's life is in danger. Alex and James move fast and purposefully and the biggest surprise isn’t that they make it through the channel with ease, but that Winn had managed to talk to Sam and help EMS navigate through the forest and arrive just as Alex and James were bringing Sam out of the cave. Safety check-ins are long and laborious and Alex almost misses her chance to talk to Sam again before she’s whisked away to a hospital. “Hey,” Alex shouts, jogging toward the vehicle and motion for the EMS guys to beat it. “Did you have fun?” Alex jokes. 

“I can think of better ways to spend my Saturdays from now on.” Sam lets out a breath. “Like maybe...coffee with the resident superhero of these parts?” The EMS guys  _ hoot _ and Alex has to shove them aside just to give herself the courage to mumble  _ yes _ . 

“Stay out of any caves for a while, okay,” Alex advises. 

“Well, if I get trapped and require a rescue, I know who to call.” 


	11. "I could really eat something."

Alex misses bar food. She misses chips. She misses the long drive to Eliza’s house and the immediate warmth she feels knowing that Eliza has cooked pierogies. Alex misses drunk watching the food network with Kara and then ordering too much food for the both of them. She misses brunch and mimosas and the box of donuts on Kara’s kitchen island. Alex even misses leftovers. 

Compared to everything else that she misses, food is something that always seems to be a factor, even as they float around in a spaceship, 300,000 miles away from home. 

The funniest part is that Alex doesn’t ever cook when she is home. But up here, she’d earned a reputation for being the best chef on board. It helped that the meals were served in packets and that Alex had an impeccable talent for how long to heat up vacuum-sealed meat.  _ Chef Danvers _ was a nickname that extended beyond the “kitchen” on the shuttle. Her expertise in agriculture was the entire reason she was on this mission and sometimes if  _ Chef  _ wasn’t enough, someone might simply call her  _ Old McDonald _ . 

The small crew was a blessing. They were close and they learned very easily about each other's moods. “You alright, Chef?” Sam asks as she watches Alex sulk from the door of her sleeping quarters. 

“I could really eat something,” Alex mumbles. 

“Well, it’s Friday. You know what that means?” Sam waits for Alex to respond, when she gets a confused look, she adds, “Pizza day, duh.” 

“You just made that up.”

“Yes, but...it sounds like a fucking brilliant idea.” Navigating the shuttle is easy. They’ve trained for it and the conditions and isolation get much easier when the crew is this great. And Sam is great. Alex knew that from the moment they met. “Come on.” The “kitchen” isn’t a kitchen. It’s a compartment with vacuum-sealed packets and a large aluminum case that keeps the food warm. Alex had yet to even attempt making pizza up here but Sam seemed determined as she grabbed two packets of pizza dough. 

“We aren’t sharing?” 

“I don’t know what kind of weird shit you’re gonna put on your pizza,” Sam tells her as she hands Alex the sauce. While Alex works on putting sauce on her pie, being careful to only let it float around within arms reach as she works, Sam is already on to pepperoni. “Are those...olives?” 

“Your entire pizza is pepperoni!” Alex points out but Sam doesn’t seem to care. Instead, she continues watching in horror as Alex adds pine nuts to her pie. 

“Look...I’m no therapist, but you need help.” 

“Shut up.” 

“I’m serious, you’re disturbing me.” Alex lets a pine nut go, watches it float between them for a few seconds before she scoops it into her mouth. “I heard you make the best trail mix out there.” Alex smiles, she never thought she’d be known for trail mix, but if that’s how she goes down in history, she’s okay with that. 

“It’s pretty good.”

“You’re modest.” Sam holds up her pizza, showing off her perfect pepperoni placement and floats it over to Alex who - thankfully - catches it. The process of heating the pies is quite easy, but Alex starts to feel self-conscious now that she doesn’t have much else to say about cooking or their mission. 

Sam seems comfortable with the silence. “I miss good food too,” Sam says. Her eyes find Alex’s. “Homesick?”

“Yeah.” 

“Pizza makes me think of home. And I think about Friday nights with my daughter, watching really cheesy Christmas movies in July, and drinking chocolate milk because it’s her favorite thing.” Sam smiles at the thought. “I know I made up Pizza Night, but...I feel a lot better now. Do you?”

“Yeah.” They take their pizzas out of the aluminum case and cut each in half. Alex holds out half of hers toward Sam and they swap to make a whole pizza of each of their favorites. “I think I downloaded a few movies before we took off. My sister probably downloaded some really really cringy ones too...if you’re interested.” 

“I am.” They each take a bite of their pizzas and smile, equally surprised that they aren’t terrible. “Let’s do Pizza Night every night.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does anyone have favorite pizza toppings?


	12. "Can I ask you something?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt - Alex asking Sam to take her shopping so can get more of a masculine wardrobe?

It’s Lena that makes Alex second guess herself. If the CEO of LCorp could wear a suit, then couldn’t she? The thoughts percolate in her mind for weeks. She could try anything, right? She’s an adult and no one’s stopping her. But Alex knows that it’s different for Lena. Lena still wears heels and lipstick, Alex doesn’t want to look _like her_, she just wants to look like herself. 

Sam says something eventually. They’re eating pastries from their favorite bakery where they’d just spent a pleasant morning catching up with Lena and Nia. Alex is devouring the leftovers while Sam picks at her food. “Can I ask you something?” They’d only been dating a month at this point. But it felt like longer, the slow-build had brought them so close that their first kiss seemed inevitable - at least to everyone in their friend group. A comment like _can I ask you something _startles Alex enough that she drops her food. 

“…yeah?”

“Okay, so…” Sam sighs. “Were you checking out Lena today?”

“What?!” Alex can hear how defensive she sounds but it isn’t because she was. She’s terrified of being unable to explain herself. “No, I…Sam…” Alex grabs her hands. “I liked her suit.”

“Is that what we’re calling it-.”

“I’m serious.” Sam’s face softens, probably because Alex sounds so desperate and small. “It’s like…every time we go out somewhere, I feel like everyone else has their place, except me. Look at what I’m wearing.” Alex motions to her v-neck navy t-shirt and tight jeans. “It’s not me. Or…I dunno, it’s not who I want to be.” 

“I understand.” Sam whips out her phone and dials a number. “Hey, Lena…what’s the name of your tailor?” Two hours later, Alex finds herself being fitted for a navy blue pinstriped suit. She stands in front of a mirror, loving just how dapper she looks. “This one? I love,” Sam tells her, fanning herself dramatically. “It’ll look great on my bedroom floor,” Alex blushes while Sam and the tailor high five. 

“Thank you,” Alex whispers, while the tailor is busy at the front of the quaint little shop. It’s an easy way to phrase what she really wants to say which is _thank you, for helping me figure out how I see myself_. It’s a long journey and one with plenty of pitfalls, but Alex looks at herself in the mirror again and smiles. 


	13. "Thor"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt - agentreign get a pet

It isn’t that Sam is against the idea. It’s just the fact that Ruby knows about it that concerns her. A tiny little gerbil is an adorable thing, but if Sam can’t control her power - her strength - the little guy is gonna be a goner. She suspects that Alex knows this because every time Kara brings it up, Alex quickly tries to diffuse the situation. It was nice having someone to rely on, while she’d been stuck living at the DEO for the past three months. 

Reign was gone, but her power was still there, and she didn’t trust herself to control it. Not yet at least. Alex, Kara, and Lena had been three very strong and patient pillars of support while she figured things out. Kara was mostly in charge of the physical nature of her recovery. Instead of hiding her power, Kara had been showing her techniques and they spared. A lot. Kara enjoyed being able to teach and probably learn a lot about herself along the way. Lena was basically in charge of Sam’s “normal life”. She often picked Ruby up from school, went to meetings and updated Sam on her work schedule. Sam couldn’t do a ton while she was at the DEO but she managed to run through a lot of LCorp’s finances anyway. 

And Alex. Oh, god, what would Sam do without Alex? Probably wallow away and die. She had somehow gone from being all business and working on Sam’s medical needs, to being a wonderful emotional support system. She had probably the longest hours at the DEO and she often spent time checking in on Sam when no one else was around. Sam insisted that Ruby stays on her typical schedule which meant Sam only got to see her a few times during the week, but Alex was always there to give her updates about Ruby’s games and something they worked on for homework together. Alex would even join her for dinner or help her work on control through these geeky breathing technics that always made Kara laugh. 

Sam never realized how much her physical body related to her emotions before. She’d always seen them as separate but when Alex was there, helping her recover from the trauma of everything she’d been through, Sam could easily find the connecting forces between Alex’s gentle touch and the number of times Sam smiled during the day. 

Which is why Sam is so afraid of getting this stupid pet. She’ll kill it. And then she’ll have to watch Kara and Alex sulk around reminding her that she isn’t ready to be in the real world yet. 

“You okay?” Alex is leaning against the threshold of the door. Her arms are crossed over her chest and she looks stunning in her casual attire. Sam knows that Alex is dressed to leave and it makes her feel a bit somber knowing that she never gets to see Alex is her street clothes which are usually soft sweaters and jeans. Or a leather jacket with some kind of t-shirt under it that reminds Sam just how chill Alex typically is. 

Sam doesn’t get to see that side of her often and it hurts to know that while she’s stuck here, Alex is out in the world showing everyone the attention that Sam doesn’t get anymore. Sam does remember thinking that it was strange how much Alex had thrown herself into Sam’s life when Sam had first started getting those headaches. It was stupid how much Sam adored the attention and now she has to face the fact that Alex will probably move on to more important things. She has her own life to live after all. 

“Yeah. Totally fine. Not weird being stuck in an underground government facility.” The sarcasm comes from nowhere. It’s not how she typically speaks and Alex - ever the observant type - steps further into the room and takes a seat at Sam’s bedside. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay to be angry.”

“Not when my _anger_ causes lasers to come from my eyes.” Sam looks down at what she’s wearing. Light blue top, light blue pants, she’s looked like a patient for the past few months. God, does she miss her power suits. 

“I’ve actually been talking to J’onn about you,” Alex starts. That doesn’t sound good. At all. Sam imagines that she must be a common topic of conversation but she wishes that she could be a fly on the wall. _How _does Alex talk about her? Like the subject of an experiment? Or like a friend? “I think you’re ready to go home.”

“Oh, please.” Sam scoffs. 

“No really-.”

“I broke an entire table yesterday because I was about to win at _UNO _and I slammed the card down too hard.” Kara had laughed, Vasquez patted Sam’s head and said ‘aww, your first table.’

“Kara broke my entire car. On my birthday.” Alex rests her elbow on Sam’s bed. Outside of a few sweaty sparring and yoga sessions, this is the closest they’d been in a few long time. Alex seemed to understand Sam’s desire to keep the people she cared about at a distance. She would never forgive herself if she hurt anyone. “Shit happens. To all of us. You’re not special.” But the way Alex says it, Sam does feel special. Warm even. “According to Thor, he’s the only one who deserves this much attention.”

“Thor? Who the hell is Thor?” Sam scrunches up her face. “Not like…a guy friend…boyfriend or something right?”

“Fortunately for all the beautiful women out there, I am still a raging lesbian.” Alex chuckles. “Thor is a gerbil. Remember? DEO’s official mascot, besides Kara.” Alex holds her hand toward Sam. “Come on, you wanna meet him?” 

“Did you not just hear me about breaking a table?” 

“I heard you.” Alex doesn’t move her hand, she waits. Eventually, the pressure is too much, so Sam grabs hold and allows Alex to pull her up to her feet. To Sam’s surprise, Alex doesn’t stop holding her hand the whole way to Alex’s lab. For someone who works with weapons and chemicals all day, Alex’s hands are surprisingly soft. Instead of overthinking it and probably crushing Alex’s bones, Sam just focuses on the warmth that she feels until they step into the completely empty room and are standing in front of a small cage. 

There’s a giant sign propped against the cage that says “Thor Lives Here” with lightning bolts surrounding it. Sam assumes that Kara created the sign, probably Ruby too. “So, this is Thor.” Alex reaches into the cage and pulls out a precious little critter. “Want to hold him?” 

“Can we go in the Red room?” Which is what Sam calls the room where she and Kara spar. The power dampening lamps make Sam feel normal. Almost human even. 

“No.” This is the thing that Sam loves and hates about Alex. She’s doesn’t coddle Sam. She supports her growth. “Okay, let’s try something.” Alex returns Thor to his cage and turns to face Sam. Their noses are approximately three inches away from each other and Sam almost jumps back, startled by their sudden closeness. “I’m going to touch your nose. Is that okay?”

“Uh…sure.” Alex rests her hand on Sam’s cheek and brushes her thumb against Sam’s nose. It feels good. Different. To be touched in a way that doesn’t immediately scream training. 

“Now you touch my nose.”

“You want me to touch your…nose?” Sam laughs. She feels like she’s missing something completely. But she does it anyway. Mimicking Alex’s motions, being extra careful not to press too hard. She wants to be soft. She wants Alex to know that she’s touching her with care. 

“Easy right?”

“Mildly.” Sam glances over at the cage. “But Thor is different. I don’t know Thor enough to…”

“You can do this.” Alex grabs Thor again and holds him out toward Sam. 

“Don’t get mad at me when I kill your gerbil.”

“_Our _gerbil. He belongs to the DEO family which you are a part of now.” Somehow, that sense of belonging makes Sam feel confident enough to take the plunge. Thor is soft and adorable and Sam doesn’t murder him. Alex watches, closely. She doesn’t look like she expects Sam to fail. She looks like she’s proud of her. 

“Oh my god. I didn’t kill him. Look.” Sam pets Thor’s little head and pets his body. “I’m good.” Sam cries because of course, she does. Alex reaches out and wipes the tears from her eyes. It makes Sam cry more, just knowing that Alex cares about her this much. “I’m good.” 

**Author's Note:**

> These were fun to write and I'll probably end up making multichapter fics out of the ones that people enjoy the most, we'll see!


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